Colorado Week in Review, Week #3

Air Academy Kadet XC Invitational

Pueblo West's Anna Marshall and Canon City's Tabor Stevens take home top honors on this strength course. Both team titles went to Mountain Vista. The boys edged Ridgeview Academy by six points and the girls nipped Green Mountain by five. Small school division titles go to The Classical Academy. TCA's Shelby Stableford holds off teammate Emily LaValley to win the individual title in girls, while Vincent Littlemoon of Ridgeview Academy wins by seven seconds in the boys race.

Coverage

East Angel Invitational

Lillie Toaspern of Denver East runs away from the field in 20:39 and leads her school to the team title. Denver East also takes the boys team title, though closely pursued by Abraham Lincoln. East's Christian Turnock wins in 17:44 on a relatively slow course.

Florence Husky Cross Country Invitational

Salida flexed their muscles twice this week. This was the first display of power of the week for the Spartans. Josh Noriega navigates the speed-friendly course in 16:21 to win. Although Salida's boys fell to Ridgeview Academy by four points, Ridgeview is a solid 4A program and a message was sent to 3A contenders. Salida goes 1-2-3-6 in the girls race to destroy a field that included several 4A programs. Lauren Policky takes top honors in 19:45.

Fort Morgan Cross Country Invitational

Greeley Central's girls continue a string of impressive performances, taking second, third, and fifth places. Someday, perhaps, there is a showdown with Evergreen in the offing. At state, if not sooner.... Rikki Gonzales takes the girls title. Although Fort Morgan's Sean Turner wins in 16:40 on his home course, no team can withstand the onslaught of green from Fossil Ridge, who easily claimed the boys' team title.

Gunnison Cross Country Invitational

Regrettably, this meet used to attract more teams. It's still a good meet, though. Once again, Salida was sending messages to anyone willing to notice. Salida easily turned back host school Gunnison for both team titles. Josh Noriega beat Telluride's Ty Williams for the boys individual title. Only Erin Kelly of Crested Butte kept it from becoming a clean sweep for the team in purple. Kelly beat Lauren Policky, 21:06 to 21:27, for the girls individual title. Johanne Reed of Hotchkiss, who was an 8th-place finisher at the 3A state meet last fall, was well back in third.

Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational

Everyone's trying to send messages at Liberty Bell. Nobody succeeded quite like the Evergreen girls. This team is ready for prime time, with three finishers in the top ten of the Division III girls race. Although Cherry Creek, Arapahoe, and Cherokee Trail were each a bit short-handed, Regis Jesuit laid at least temporary claim to top rung of the 5A boys ladder with their performance on Friday. The Fort Collins girls put their full varsity on the line for the first time this season and the result was an easy victory over some pretty solid programs. Fort Collins thus further enhanced their standing as the 5A girls team to beat. Pine Creek, however, should have removed any doubt that they have become a top-tier 5A girls program. Liberty Bell shed no new light on the 4A boys race. It's still anyone's to grab and nobody seems quite ready to sieze control.

Liberty Lancer Cross Country Invitational

Chris Ganem (Castle View) and Hannah Everson (Liberty) win individual titles by times of 30 seconds or more in this lightly-attended meet.

Mt. Carmel/Movin Shoes XC Invitational

The Alamosa teams go California trippin' and show well against a lot of strong programs on the 2.7 mile course. Jenny DeScouchet is back in the lineup and sister Nikki turns in a very nice time of 15:58. Nikki DeSouchet's time placed her first among Division 2 juniors at the event, 18 seconds ahead of the next finisher.

Ned Pollert XC Invitational

Not many people recall the glory days of Grand Junction cross country in the 1990s. Apparently, though, Kelsey Slauson has been told of those days. Almost single-handedly, she seems determined to awaken the echoes. Slauson runs 19:48 on a grassy course to win by over 80 seconds. Woody Seagren of Fruita-Monument takes home the boys honors. Overall, Fruita-Monument owns cross country in Mesa County.

Platte Canyon Husky Cross Country Invitational

Welcome to the Rosalie property where air is rare, but rocks are not. Poudre destroys the boys field, led by Iain Miller's winning time of 19:10! Thompson Valley does much the same on the girls side, with Emma Howard running a 22:32. Almost any course will seem easy after this one.

Standley Lake Cross Country Invitational

Colin Brewster of Ralston Valley turns back a challenge from Denver South en route to an individual title and a nice time of 16:28. Photo by Cliff Jurgens.

Denver South would exact its revenge in the team scoring, overcoming Ralston Valley by a tally of 35-79. The Standley Lake girls managed to take home their own trophy with an impressive 2-6-9-10-11 finish. Top honors to Emily Majors of Northglenn in 21:01.